Indianapolis Colts HC Shane Steichen Not a “Leader of Men”?

23 comments

1. 17:10 There are plenty of examples of head coaches who have little to no leadership skills. Bowles, Morris. All these OC/DC types getting promoted these days accentuates that. See Aaron Glenn or Kellen Moore or Robert Saleh among others.

   Doesn't mean they'll end up being a bad HC. But Shane is a bad HC. To be the de facto leader of a team, you need either to be a "leader of men" like MCDC or Vrabel.

   Or you at least need that something that makes the other leaders in the org believe in you. Belichick isn't the greatest leader of men, but his leaders, whether coaches or players, believed in his schemes, his methods, etc. Similar to successful coordinators making transitions to HC this year. Your leaders believe that your special sauce will give them that edge against the competition whether it's Shanahan or Johnson.

   Shane has none of the above. His pressers and locker room talks just reek of a beta nerd trying to pretend he's an alpha. That's cause he doesn't have the brains to just embrace the nerd-sona like McDaniels or Moore. Shane just reeks of someone who isn't comfortable in his own skin, who is not competent enough for the role he's set for himself, and is scared of anyone finding out about that fact.

   That's what makes him a terrible HC. You can't lead men or at least your org leaders if they know you're a fraud deep down.

2. Steichen has a lot to prove. He has not been successful thus far.
   It’s easy to lead when you’re 8-2. It’s an entirely other thing to lead men when you lose 7 games in a row.

   In addition, I’m not convinced that players don’t undermine Steichen and go straight to Ballard.
   Ballard is soft and the players know it.
   If Ballard does allow this, it’s an even bigger hurdle for Steichen.

   I have a problem with Steichen allowing Ballard to draft AR.
   Steichen did not want AR. Ballard needed to save his job.
   I also have a problem with Steichen lying in press conferences saying he “hopes AR’s eyesight heals back to 100%”
   Steichen is done with AR and AR and his agents are done with the Colts.
   So Steichen tells the fans THAT AR has some long term injury so the fans and media stop asking about him.
   This is such an obvious lie. Ballard’s decisions constantly put others in uncomfortable positions to cover for a lack of leadership at multiple levels.
   Steichen needs to be solely responsible for discipline and player structure.

3. Shane trying to draw defense off sides with 4th down hard count at then take the 5 yard penalty was a bust. He should have pulled DJ after the broken leg and use a back up till he healed too. She's pissed was an excuse too .

4. Your very knowledgeable when it comes to football 🏈

5. With your assessment that Steichen is an offensive genius archetype which I agree that’s his type. How come every time a good defense comes along the offense struggles to score 20+ points??
   Players? Injuries? Defense sucks??Steelers, chiefs, Texans games this year pretty good examples of as healthy as can be expected and sub par results.

   Steichen is not a HC, bc I feel a HC even as a offensive genius(Mcvay Shananhan)has the team playing together special teams, defense, and offense all working together as 1 both supporting and leading each other. Too many times have we seen games offense plays well defense gets torched think 9ers/texans. Defense holds a team to under 20 or low 20s think Seahawks and jags.

6. Just how it goes most of the time. For example Dan Campbell is a great leader of men but from xs and Os standpoint he's an idiot. Shane is great at Xs and Os but as a leader he's Finesse and soft. Just how it goes most of the time IMO

7. Interesting. AR is a bad example to use to say why Shane isn't a QB whisper or whatever. AR couldn't stay healthy and that took a lot of time off for his development. I like AR because of his potential but as sad as his luck is, Shane needs a QB that's healthy and a top 10 defense. He didn't have these 2. I don't even remember the last time the Colts even had a top 10 defense but felt like every year the defense been issue. but some will say offense have to stay on field but the Browns for example had a bad offense and still their defense tough it out. Regardless, i just think the Colts just have some bad luck throughout the year.

8. Well lets see been a fan since 03 remember Ballard's first day in office wasint a fan then not a fan now 😂Ballard drafts nelson same result he drafts Jonathan Taylor same results he drafts Pittman no playoffs no division he drafts and signed some good veterans not great but decent he drafts tyler warren same exact results no playoffs no division so for you to say some fans dont know what there saying hmmmmmm the frank Reich situation gus Bradley all under Ballard it all falls under Ballard not really trusting shane Steichen he doesn't need to be playcaller so what else do some of us colts fans need to add to the facts that some people like the one talking behind a microphone 🎤 thinking he got it figured out 😂😂😂 actually nah nah we won't stop there he drafts paris Campbell over DK metcalf who in fact Campbell hasn't been on the team since 2022 if not mistaken drafts ej speed he goes to the damn annoying texans drafts kwitty paye 1st overall edge rusher supposed to be number 1 pass rusher but HAHAHA we all have seen how that's been playing out theres been sooo many bust draft picks good to mid veteran signings cant draft a LB for shit soo what big deal he hit good on Taylor Nelson Pierce oh and dont forget Kelly and will fries all not on the team

9. Steichen is an OC not a head coach

10. The problems were structural not talent-less. Depth, health, and game execution can be fixed. The elite offense is still there it just dipped a little, should have got riley in sooner so that jones could get healthy. The front office now has very clear evidence of what they need to address. Hell, we all do. Secondary depth, pass rush consistency. I think this is why they were given another chance. Our defense was completely devastated this year. LOVE Phillip Rivers, Coaching future for the shoe? It's surely frustrating at times. if we started off 2-8 and ended 8-9 some of y'all wouldn't be this mad and act like sh!t doesn't happen. The orbital injury to AR is a game changer. I had high hopes for him. But his luck is horrible on this team.

11. I understand AR is responsible for showing up to meetings on time, preparation, etc, but was this kid ever taught that at any level hs, college, or nfl? He hasn't been through the processes of being a good or great passer. He's never been taught properly to being a real qb, or professional. He's just been lucky on his athletic ability. Why did Ballard trust his scouts so much to draft him and he had all of these flaws. Ballard didn't do his homework on him(AR) thoroughly. ?
    Maybe he thought Steichen could get him to tap into his potential, but it hasn't worked.

12. Steichan isn't good. He's the typical "QB guru". Has an offense that is ok, doesn't understand game management, winning with all 3 phases and managing a roster and season….but Ballard is an absolute imposter cancer.

    Steichan is below average. Ballard is just an absolute fraud

13. Not bad. Good video Justin.

    Except for a few things. Your blanket statement that Ballard has mismanaged the QB situation. This is the very same stupid commentary you were complaining about earlier.

    Things working or failing and mismanagement are not the same thing. Look at it in detail.

    17 Luck: injured late… smoke and mirrors from the front office. But settle on Brissett. Not mismanaged, it's an emergency solution, and generally was considered a good move. Brissett isent amazing but for Dorsett, that's a win.

    18 Luck: returns, Playoff win.

    19 Luck: quits on team 2 weeks before season. Back to Brissett. Again, this was an emergency type solution. Not mismanagement. 7-9 with Luck doing that, is not bad. The championship winning GM Polian went 2-11 when Manning missed a season. Want to bash Polian?

    20 Rivers: Nelson is awesome, Darius before Shaq, the team is good we just need that QB… playoffs near upset of Bills

    21 Wentz: Wentz/Reich… Its not mismanagement to give your coach the guy he wants, and was almost MVP. Only failed to get it because of a season ending injury, and still got MVP votes… Its also not mismanagement on the GM when the Owner is upset because of VAX STATUS!!!

    22 Ryan: Again, this was a solution that was not expected. He had to find something, because Jim hopped up on…. misinformation. or is it disinformation? Not mismanagement. actually, how he got out from Wentz was masterful. Sure, Ryan was butterfingers, but not as bad as people like to recall. AND i already pointed out that your Mayfield comparison was flawed. Mayfield was worse than Ryan this year.

    23 Anthony fking Richardson and Minshew: The guy 97% of the entire fanbase was drooling over. Many wanted him to trade up to guarantee his selection…. The guy that made me stop watching Kent on the daily because even your boy… went fking nuts. Is it mismanagement to select the guy everyone else was (not me) sold on? No, it dident work, but its not mismanagement. Minshew is actually not a bad backup QB.

    24 Flacco: a product of Richardson injury/sucking Im ok with you blaming Ballard for this, so long as every idiot colt fan that was excited about Richardson shuts the fk up about it.

    25 Jones: much better than expected… some even suggested in the mvp running before the injury/collapse, and also a product of Richardson sucking.

    And what other solutions have been available? How have the rest faired? You good with Murry as a #1? How about Young? Maybe Pickett? Wilson? Trey Lance… that guy may be worse than Richardson. Are you really giving the 9ers GM/Coach a pass for selecting a worse QB than Richardson and only getting lucky with Purdy? That was a fluke, not brilliance.

14. Fans are typically overreactive. However, when a fan base is almost unanimous, they are correct more often than not. A sample size that large is hard to oppose.

15. Shane bad Head Coach he can't lead and piss poor Play Caller far as a offence game plan , Shane stand on side line let others make the game plan colts probly win a lot more games

16. Shane cannot lead period few players maybe cannot lead a whole team colts need a hard knocks type coach not a pacifier of a coach you play bad you get screamed at straighten your a$$ up or your on practice squad or fired

17. Great episode. I can tell you were prepared for that one.

18. Shane Steichen record = (OC)2019 LA Chargers record 5-11,(OC)2020 LA Chargers record 7-9(Chargers coaching staff fired), Shane got credit for Nick(last time colts made playoff was OC-) did. not him

19. Him and Chris Ballard job will be on the line next season.

20. He definitely can't close out a close game or a close do or die game time to bring in Harbaugh

21. The drafting of the qb position was malpractice. We could’ve easily traded up for CJ Stroud (who I thought even back then was the best qb in the draft) but Ballard sat on his hands.

22. My favorite colts podcast big time respect my boi😎

23. Here’s my thing about Anthony Richardson, he was a project quarterback who Shane and Chris thought it was smart to draft him 4th overall. Who the hell drafts a quarterback as a project player that high? It’s lunacy. Anthony Richardson definitely could’ve done better being prepared but he didn’t because of the lack of accountability, now this isn’t just true for Anthony Richardson. At the end of the season in one way or another, players elude to other players not being held accountable. It happened again at the end of this season as well. With that being said, Anthony Richardson did improve when they brought Daniel jones here, thus the reason DJ struggled to win the competition. I watched it, Daniel jones struggled to create any real distance between him and Anthony Richardson. And Shane reason for still giving jones the was and I quote. “We like the way Daniel controls the huddle” ….. also, some of the things I noticed was the level of focus and immediate relationship he developed with DJ. Keyword, developed! Him and Anthony Richardson had zero activity with Shane during any season, nor did Shane ever have any script or a list of demands for him to tackle during the offseason. I’m from Indiana and listened to Colt fans ask Shane constantly about Anthony Richardson development and of Shane was vague and seemed disengaged from the topic at hand. What my point? Although the colts drafted him, they had zero plan to develop him at all but to use him to gain fandom and attention because everyone loves a running quarterback, which is what the colts tried to force him to be. Anthony Richardson himself said that he’s more comfortable as a passer, the colts should have zeroed in on that and challenged him from jump by actually coaching him. Also, Anthony Richardson is a young guy asked to lead grown men, what youngster is ready for that coming straight out of college with only one season starting and he had a injury history and inconsistent play in college as well. This 100% Shane and Chris Ballard fault. Anthony didn’t draft himself,did he? They knew the task at hand and failed miserably and everyone gets to keep his job but Anthony Richardson healthy or not.